The Ashes of London
by statesofgrxce
Summary: London 1943, when Lily Evans is handed over to the Auror's after living her school years pretending to be a muggle for her own safety, she must learn to live in a world where two wars are colliding.
1. Chapter 1

**St Joseph's Academy,**

**London,**

**14****th**** of June, 1943.**

"One exam to go," The sing song voice of Amelia Fortescue echoed around the Victorian style hallways. The halls were practically empty of students on the sunny June day and students without exams were taking full advantage of the empty grounds.

"Maths is two hours; you have got to be kidding me?" Emma Thomas sighed as she snatched the exam sheet off of her friend. "This is meant to be a school, not a prison."

King Joseph's Academy of London was particularly famous for, as Emma put it, 'torturing' its students. The all-girls boarding school was more and more recently becoming a place of hell for its older students who were now facing the new rules being placed in over the last year due to the progression of the war. The school was built for the socially elite and was the host to high family competition and rivalry between students, preparing for when they left and were expected to act like this in the real world.

"It will all be over soon, and then it will be the summer. And you'll be complaining again as you'll be travelling back down to Bristol to spend six weeks of bliss with your family," Amelia smirked at her friend, knowing full way Emma was dreading it.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah and what, you're spending your whole summer where?"

"France, with my Grandparents," Amelia lied with a smile. "Remember, I don't have parents to spend six weeks of bliss with." Another lie; they came easily now.

Emma almost looked uncomfortable but shot her friend a grin, "Lucky you." It was well known knowledge that Amelia's had left her with her Grandparents when she was very young, without an explanation or any trace of a destination, she had no way of contacting them.

"You don't mean that, Lord and Lady Thomas will of course be _delighted_ to have their youngest daughter home from boarding school for the summer," Amelia cried in a high pitch voice, mimicking Emma's Mother.

Emma snorted and smiled at her friend, "Can't I just spend the summer with you?"

Amelia hated lying, she truly did, but she had been trained to, it's all she could do. She had to. "Em, you know you can't, and I'm sorry but you know you'd hate France, all the social events, you'd have nobody to complain to. At least at the ones you'll be going to you get to." She said with a weak smile.

Emma nodded, and gave her friend a small shrug, "It was worth a try. Why can't you just stay here this summer for once? Come and stay with me?" She tried, brightening with the idea.

She felt her heart rise and sink as she almost considered it, it would be so easy just to say yes. "I can't." She shrugged, turning away and lying again. She saw Emma frown slightly out of the corner of her eye, she knew she never believed her, but she didn't question her lies and that's what Amelia needed in a friend; as sad as it was.

The girls made their way across the grounds and towards the back of the school, walking in silence- the only sounds being their school bags hitting against their legs, and Emma unrolling and rolling up her sleeves of her blazer, being her indecisive self.

Amelia had always detested the school uniform she was expected to wear at King Joseph's: the long black skirt not to be worn above the knee (which she always did); the itchy cotton shirt, and the most uncomfortable black tie, worn so the top button could not be seen. But a common hatred the two girls shared was the school blazer, the dark and dull grey colour of it, the itchy and scratchy feel it had against the sleeves and the fact that if they were caught with it off a two hour detention was flung at them, an occasional punishment for the pair.

They finally met the gap in the trees in which over the years the pair of them had enlarged so they could both easily slip through. King Joseph's was only a two minute walk from the centre of London and both girls around the summer usually got sick of being trapped in the schools walls. They hadn't been caught yet. Amelia watched as Emma slipped through, and a second later copied her friend's actions.

"Have you seen the paper?" Emma muttered, as they walked away from the school.

"The Mail?" Amelia replied, her eyes staring at the ground.

Emma did not reply but handed the said paper to her. She scanned the front page, and let out a sound of disgust seeing the headline.

"St Edward's is only twenty minutes from here," Amelia sighed, shoving the paper into her bag.

"You know what they're saying right?" Emma said faintly, turning towards her best friend. "They're saying that German soldiers stormed the school, and just _murdered_ anyone in their path. The government thinks they're searching for something."

"Like what?" Amelia frowned, her stomach full of butterflies.

"Could be anything," Emma sighed dramatically. "A weapon, money, plans, a person; who knows?"

"It's happening too regularly, is there no protection? No safety?" Amelia replied her voice rising in panic.

"Tons," Emma said; biting into an apple she produced from her school bag. "I guess that's what's so terrifying about it all."

Amelia sighed, "Could be us next."

"Oi, don't be so negative," Emma screeched. "We're going to be fine, trust me."

They had reached town by now and they quickly shoved their blazers into their bags. Everyone knew how strict King Joseph's was, and it was quite clear that they would not be allowed out unchaperoned by a teacher.

Emma loved the summer; Amelia watched as her friend grinned around at central London, flicking her eyes into shop windows and looking at the sun reflecting on her light blonde hair. She herself wasn't really a summer person, her light mousey brown hair did not suit summer clothes, and she was so pale that she was certain she was constantly burning.

Her eyes strayed across the street and her concentration was less and less on Emma who was chatting away about something hilariously funny that had happened in her Geography exam. Amelia watched as she saw people bustling up and down the busy London streets, the occasional partition of crowds as someone walked through, someone of aristocracy. For some reason this had always bothered her. People of higher classes thinking they owned people of lower classes. They were not deserving of the respect they were given. Her eyes flitted towards an alleyway and her gaze lay upon a young man, with long blonde hair, his body half in the shadows and half under the sunlight of the hot June day. He must have been boiling, dressed in a long black cloak that fell around his ankles. She continued watching him closely, and noticed another figure slide up next to him, wearing exactly the same.

Amelia's heart did a double turn, and her stomach flipped. For some reason she felt as if she had been thrown upside down. Suddenly she realised what she was looking at. Something she had not been trained to deal with if it ever occurred. She turned to Emma, trying to think of something else and shot her friend a grin at the story she was telling, trying not to let her inner panic display on her face.

She watched as Emma crossed the road, and followed her, her heart was racing as she knew she was nearing the two men in the alleyway. She didn't take her eyes off of them, and pretended to listen as Emma chatted away, forcing a smile each time she said something funny. They were nearing them now, just a second away.

"Afternoon m'lady," The man with the long blonde hair smiled at her, looking her directly in her bright green eyes and bowing his head. She did not smile back; she watched him cautiously as Emma smirked at them and flicked her hair slightly before continuing.

Amelia glanced back, and shot a glance at the two men who had disappeared into the shadows. She could barely see their outline but she did not miss the cruel smile on the blonde man's face as he stared her in the eyes. Disappearing further into the darkness of the alley she realised she could no longer see them. Her heart stopped. They had found her.

"Emma, we need to go," She whispered in a panic.

Her friend widened her eyes at her, "What do you mean "go"? What, go back? We just got here Amy."

Amelia shook her head, "Now, we need to go. It's not safe, we need to go." She said her voice rising.

"No, I'm staying. Go back if you like," Emma snapped at her.

"Em, I'm serious. We _need_ to go."

But Emma ignored her, and carried on walking. Leaving her friend stood there in the middle of the street in her own panic. Amelia cursed under her breath, spun around and broke into a run. Her legs carried her through the crowds of people, not caring who she bumped into, whose shopping she knocked out of whose hands. For once in her life she was determined to be selfish and scared and she was going to act upon it.

She ran back the way they had come, terrified as she turned down alleyways and round street corners alone but she ran all the same. Back to trees, back to the hole and back to the school. She stopped, and caught her breath as she reached the entrance way and she peered in. Her heart sank.

Smoke was rising from the building, and from the windows she could see fire, and thick black smoke. But what terrified her, what made her realise she and her friends were no longer safe, was the jet of green light she spotted coming from the Newman building, up in its highest window.

She threw herself through the gap and grabbed her bag, before racing across the school lawn and towards the entrance hall. Her heart thumped and her mind raced, she knew she should get herself out, back home, her Mother would kill her if she found out what she was doing. But Amelia knew what had to be done, and running away from the problem would not solve it. No, it would make it worse, it would kill more people.

Someone grabbed her wrist as she started to dash up the spiral staircase, and covered her scream with their hand. She kicked her attacker, and felt herself being pulled into a classroom. Bile rose into her mouth and she thought she was going to be sick. They could torture her, they could find her family, they could track them down, after all these years they could be tracked down and everything they had done for her would be for nothing.

She thought of just an hour ago with Emma, complaining about their last two hour exam, panicking about being bombed and attacked, complaining all those times about England's bloody education system and how much they detested going to school. All those times she had gone along with Emma's rants about hating school, about how this had been a bloody waste of eleven years, how she pretended she knew how Emma felt, as she pretended they were in the same boat. As if she too had always known she was to go to King Joseph's. As if she was the same as Emma.

She was spun around, and she stopped as she faced her attacker. "Lily, we need to get you out of here this instant," Her Headmaster croaked.

Because Lily Evans was an anomaly, and she was not the same as Emma or anyone else in this school, she was special.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Evan's Manor,**

**Outskirts of London,**

**28****th**** of July, 1943.**

"Stop asking questions," Her Mother snapped.

Lily sighed, "I've been home for over a month now Mother, and I think it's time I knew what was happening."

"I think it's time you paid us the respect we deserve, and stop prying. You're a child Lillian, and we're your parents, it is not your place to ask questions." It seemed question time was over.

Lily of course knew the real reason she had not been told what was happening, it was because they did not know either. Well, her Mother did not. Lily did not doubt for a moment her Father had other ideas, and Lily could guess what they were. And she did not like her guessing. She had been back just under a month and she had heard about ten different arguments all about what to do with her. _What was the safest option, should they send her back? Which one to send her back to? Send her somewhere new?_

At the age of thirteen, in the middle of her second year of schooling, Lily Evans was pulled out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The school she was raised to go to, the minute she was born it was set in stone that she was to attend. But the Dark Lord's forces were growing stronger and the Evans's were targeted. To this day she did not know why her parents thought the muggle world was a safer place than under Albus Dumbledore's protection, but she did not ask nor question them. She was thrown into the muggle education system with new memories and knowledge of muggle life, her appearance and name changed. It was as if Lily Evans had never existed.

"I know he's thinking of sending me back there," She whispered. "I can tell."

"Oh and how did you guess that?" Her Mother muttered. But Lily noticed the frown appear on her forehead, the lines that quickly disappeared. The panic, the stress, what she was so desperately trying to hide.

"I know Dumbledore's been here. I can hear him; I think he wants me to hear him. I think he wants me to have a say, I think he wants me to realise what you're trying to do," Lily replied, her voice rising.

Her Mother rolled her eyes, "Don't talk about things you don't understand, Lillian."

"I'm not," Lily cried. "Why else would we be going to the McKinnon's masquerade ball tonight? You and Father are trying to integrate yourselves back into wizarding society, and you haven't even asked what I think, what I want, what I feel is safest for me, how happy I am about it all!"

It's because they didn't care, and she knew they didn't. They were so worried about themselves, so scared about what might happen to them personally, all their concerns that were linked with her were whether or not she might ruin everything for them. Lily looked at her Mother for a second, she watched her eye her daughter with suspicion and avert her gaze to the floor, and knot her hands together. And then Lily realised, how lonely her Mother truly was.

Her Mother looked over her shoulder, eyeing the door suspiciously as if she feared Lord Evans was listening in. "You will go to the McKinnon's tonight accompanied by us, and you will not ask questions Lillian, do you understand?" She hissed, before standing up and dusting off her dress.

"Fine," Lily said coolly, as she watched her Mother exit the room, leaving her sixteen year old daughter sat on her bed, slowly letting panic creep in.

She didn't want to go back there.

And see everyone again.

Not everybody who had probably forgotten her.

She would have to fit back in.

They didn't understand.

She couldn't breathe.

She could beg.

She couldn't go back.

**The McKinnon's Manor,**

**Oxford,**

**28****th**** of July, 1943.**

She stood alone in the corner, they had been there for about twenty minutes now and this was as far as she had gotten into the room. Her parents had sent her off as they mingled with old friends, and told her to go make herself useful. Useful doing what? What did they want her to do, hand round food, offer drinks? At someone else's party? But useful probably meant make herself scarce, so she did. She felt like a coward, stood there alone, watching the room, not daring to talk to anyone. What did they expect? She had spent the last three years being hidden from the world, and wizarding society, and now she was expected to grab that old Gryffindor courage back again and throw herself back in, when she was so used to blending in and hiding in the background.

She was uncomfortable. She was wearing a floor length dark blue dress, which was starting to become very itchy -her Mother's choice obviously- and her heels were rubbing the soles of her feet. God, she forgot how much she hated these stupid balls. At least when she was younger she got to run around with the kids, laughing and shouting as everyone ignored them. But now she was expected to act ladylike, politely nod her head at anyone who looked her way and offer them a small smile, and ignore the whispering aimed in her direction.

_Lily Evans the girl who had been hidden from herself for three years._

"Pumpkin Juice, Madam?" A waiter asked. Ah, so she still looked like a child at an adult's ball, but she just couldn't act like one. She smiled slightly, and shook her head, and he moved on. She felt a stab of sympathy for him, families that were not considered wealthy enough to get into these parties often sent their children along to help out, in the hope they would get invited to the next one. It seemed humiliating, and Lily was selfishly thankful she had never been in that position.

God she was bored, all she wanted to do was go home, curl up and sleep and think of a way to stop her Dad sending her back to Hogwarts next year. It was simple really, all she had to do was keep badgering him, and persuading him, and hopefully maybe and eventually it could possibly work, if she tried hard en-

"Lily Evans," Someone said behind her.

She turned around and stared into the green eyes of Remus Lupin, her ex-classmate and fellow Gryffindor. He was smiling warmly at her, and she felt herself let go of a breath she didn't even know she had been holding and smiled back at him in relief. His eyes twinkled slightly, as if he was genuinely happy to see her – he remembered her. Perhaps she wouldn't be alone.

"Remus," She grinned back at him. "You haven't changed at all," She added.

"Neither have you I've noticed," He smirked slightly. "Stood in the corner and glaring at every pureblood that passes you. Also, you look as if you can't handle five more minutes of this stuffy party."

She flushed slightly, so it wasn't just Dumbledore who noticed, "I guess I feel a bit out of place."

He nodded understandingly. She was right, he was just as understanding, and kind as he always had been. They'd been good friends before she left. "Making your way towards Mary and Marlene I see," He commented, and she shrugged. "They missed you. They do still talk about you occasionally. But it's hard Lily, nobody's heard from you in years, nobody knew what happened. We were almost certain you'd," he paused, "never mind."

"I think that was the point," She muttered. "I'm just starting to wonder who actually wanted me gone, crazy purebloods or my own Father."

"Have you ever considered the difference?" Remus asked abruptly. "Sorry, I don't mean to be rude or interfere, I was just curious on how much you actually know about your own family?"

Lily looked over her shoulder where her Father and Mother were chatting to the MacDonald's, "Nothing at all, Remus."

"Have you ever thought about asking?" He politely inquired.

She smiled, "You have clearly never met my Father, Remus."

"No I haven't, but I must say his choice of mask reflects the stories I've heard about him. And by that I mean his supposed personality."

Remus was right. Lily's Father was wearing a black mask that covered half of his face, it was not dissimilar to a death eater mask, and of course Lily had only recognised this after her Father had made a small joke about it, obviously finding his own cruelty amusing. No one else appeared to have made the connection, and Lily was thankful. She was, however, starting to question where her Father's loyalties lay. Lily, herself, was wearing a golden patterned mask almost in the shape of a bird's eyes.

"Well, by looking at the colours of your mask Remus, I think someone may guess Ravenclaw," Lily teased, taking in his blue and silver mask.

"My Mother picked it out for me," He sighed, making a face, causing Lily to giggle slightly before pulling his mask down over his eyes, as she followed suit.

"Lillian," She felt her Mother hiss in her ear. Of course it could be nobody other than her Mother; she didn't know anyone else that could hiss like a snake, without actually being one. "Your Father and I would like you to join Lord Avery's son on the dance floor, he's a year older than you, and you are one of the only people not dancing. You promised you'd try to your hardest not to embarrass us."

She grabbed Lily's arm and dragged her away leaving Lily mouthing an apology at a chuckling Remus, and threw her in front of lanky looking Aaron Avery. His eyebrows were knotted into a frown, and his mouth into a sneer as he dragged her towards the dance floor. Every inch of him screamed Slytherin, and Lily had never been more uncomfortable in her life. He talked at her, not giving her any chances to reply as he moved her around at his time and pace, (though Lily had never danced a day in her life, she had always managed to avoid dancing), his breath smelt strongly of onions as he breathed heavily as he talked, and occasionally he would trample on her feet. She was sure it was purposely, as if he was asserting his authority. His mask was grey, like his eyes, and extremely boring, not at all as beautiful as Remus's. The thought made her long to be with her friend, chatting away, and she cast a look across the dance floor, where she saw him dancing with her old friend Mary MacDonald who was giggling away. There seemed to be no sign of Marlene, actually Lily couldn't recall seeing her all night, but she pushed this thought away.

Lily's Mother had been right; it was as if everyone was dancing now. Even her parents seemed to be on the floor. Lily sighed inwardly at her bad luck at a dance partner, and nodded politely as Avery continued to brag about how much money his Father was now being paid at his job at the Ministry. Lily tried so hard not to scoff at his arrogance, and desperately wanted to escape his grasp. He was dull, and awful to listen to, and quite frankly she was uncomfortable and bored.

He twirled her, and she took her chance. Not caring if she bashed right in to someone else, at least then she could make up an excuse that she was dizzy or she had lost her balance. But Merlin she could not spend another minute with him, let alone another song, or she might Avada herself. She spun away from him and let herself let go of his hand, and she continued to let herself spin. She was going to fall, she could feel herself tripping, and she felt a hand on her back –so much for getting away from Avery.

"Careful," A warm voice muttered in her ear. Lily looked up to see a beautiful gold and red mask, and it was obvious Gryffindor pride was a very prominent thing in his personality. He had dark messy hair, and large hazel eyes, which lit up as he smiled at her. "Want to dance?" He grinned.

Lily smiled gratefully. Anyone, anyone was better than Avery –friend or stranger. She dusted off her dress, "Thank you."

"I think you'll learn to keep your filthy hands off of things that aren't yours Potter," Avery snarled, coming up to them and putting his arm on Lily's shoulder, which she subtly tried to shrug off.

"I think you'll learn not to treat Miss Evans as your possession, Avery," Potter hissed back.

Lily Evans was no stranger to James Potter, and James Potter was no stranger to Lily Evans. Lily remembered the messy haired arrogant boy just as she remembered his signature smirk, and his gang of friends, and his immature pranks; crystal clear. Lily had disliked James Potter greatly before she had been pulled out of school; the two had not been the greatest of friends, exchanging insults such as "toilet brush" and "ginger nut". Oh the inventive minds of second years still amazed her. But as she shrugged Avery's hand off of her shoulder it was clear to her she would rather dance with immature, and arrogant Potter, than dull, and nasty Avery.

"Her family would die of shame if she was caught with a blood traitor like you, Potter," Avery sneered.

Potter snorted, "Better than an honorary death eater like you, Avery."

"You clearly don't know her family very well then do you, Potter,"

"It's not her family I want to dance with. Now if you'll excuse us," James smirked, turning his back on Avery and taking Lily's hand.

She mouthed a thank you, as she watched Avery glare at the back of James's head and turn on his heel towards a group of Slytherin boys Lily had watched her parent's converse with earlier in the night. James smiled slightly at her and led her back into the middle of the dance floor; she hoped by immersing herself in the crowd her parents would not be able to seek her out.

"Has being hidden away for the past three years somehow damaged your brain Evans?" James snapped at her quietly.

Lily's eyes widened. Whatever she had been expecting him to say to her after not seeing her for three years she was certain it was not this. "Pardon me?" She choked out.

"Are you stupid? The Avery's aren't exactly wizarding society's most moral family," He muttered, spinning her slightly, almost making her trip over her own foot. "He's not a good guy."

"Ah yes, because I remember you being so polite and decent when I left. Plus who do you think you are? My Mother? I can take care of myself, thank you very much," She snapped back at him fiercely. "I don't need anyone to swoop in and save me. I'm not some damsel in distress."

"Did I imply that? I just think perhaps you should reconsider who you keep in your company, Evans."

"I'll have you know that that is none of your business, _Potter._"

"And I'll remind you Evans, that there is a war going on. Two infact. And it seems our world is getting mixed up in the other. You need to watch where your loyalties lie before people start questioning them."

"They are not my loyalties, they are my family's. I have no choice," She hissed at him, she realised they were attracting attention. The handsome Potter boy, and the Evans's recluse daughter -the girl who had rejected herself from wizarding society, and the son of the noble Potter's. Oh what a pair.

"You always have a choice, Lily," His voice softening slightly.

"You don't even know me, Potter," She glared at him.

"Well maybe this will be my lucky year," He smirked at her as the music stopped. He stepped back from her. "Thanks for the dance Evans. See you in September."

"Looking forward to it," She retaliated sarcastically.


End file.
